Emerging Pasts
by enchanted-mind
Summary: When fires strike Odette's kingdom, she returns to help. But things go wrong very quickly when the royals notice there's someone lurking in the shadows, waiting to be unmasked. What is being hidden? Is tragedy looming? Who will pay? Mature content.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so, first and foremost, this isn't entirely my story. It belongs to a very talented someone -who does not wish to be named - who has said I may take the story and continue it. So, thank you and I hope I do you proud!**

**I first read this years ago and saw that it was no longer being added to. I felt it was such a shame because _anonymous_ had something so good going and it would never be seen. So, I emailed the author and now I have full permission to continue writing it (by the way, I saw it on this website: .). You may have already seen this a while back when I first decided to continue it, but I never finished it. This time around, I am going to change it a lot and add in some new things. This is mostly because I feel strange taking the entire story from someone else and I don't want the story to have a disjointed quality about it. **

**This story, I guess, takes place after the third movie and it has all the characters you know and love! And... yeah... that's all you really need to know!**

**Enjoy and, of course, let me know what you think!**

...

"A whole month?" Odette shook her head in disbelief, eyeing her husband off for the fourth time that day. She took in another breath, "You are going to Lienshire for hunting, for two whole months?"

Derek resisted the urge to roll his eyes, remembering that he was not talking to Rogers, and folded his arms instead. _Just perfect_, he thought to himself. First Uberta had kicked up a storm at the invitation to hunt – she had never liked the King of Lienshire - and suddenly Odette wasn't thrilled either. The unanimous reaction should not have been surprising, though it did make Derek wonder where he had gone wrong in explaining the situation to the women. It was either that, or the fact that he had never been away for more than three weeks without Odette and so the thought worried them.

"Lienshire is not far away…" he said, hoping to take the argument down another route. "I could be back within hours if I needed to be..."

Odette retorted curtly. "It's a two day carriage ride!"

"And only half of one on horseback!" he retorted impulsively, barely stopping himself from shouting at her. He almost - _almost!_ – wished that someone would intervene at that moment and drag him away to do something of little importance. He would have almost given anything to see Rogers appear with another tedious task. But, everybody apparently knew better than to meddle in the young royals' affairs when they were in a heated argument.

"Odette, why don't you want me to go?" Derek knew that the news of his hunting trip would not have sparked such a drastic reaction normally. He therefore concluded –internally, of course- that there was something else bothering her. His visits to other kingdoms had never been a problem before.

Odette took in a breath, ready with the same answer she had given an hour ago. "You know I don't like you hunting and…" she trailed off, scouring her mind to find another legitimate reason. "I just… well…" She went blank. That left no other choice but to argue. "And just what are you hunting exactly?"

"Nothing in particular… Odette, very rarely do we actually hunt anything specific. You know that."

"Then why are you leaving?" she asked.

"Leaving?" he scoffed. "You make it sound like I am trying to get away!"

"It wouldn't surprise me with how many days you've actually been in the castle..."

Derek's eyes softened slightly after catching that hint of vulnerability in her tone. "I could never leave..." and he gently brushed his hand across her cheek. She broke the gaze, clearly not engaged in his touch.

Apparently it wasn't a weakness in her voice.

"Shall I ask again?" she snapped. "Why are you going to Lienshire to hunt, if it serves no purpose?"

His eyes, too, turned sharp, ready to bite back. "Because I was invited and it would be disrespectful not to go!"

The two just looked at each other, weary from the day of bickering now that they had said their arguments a dozen times over. They didn't need to say it, but they needed to avoid each other for a while. The break would do everyone good. Odette and Derek nodded ever so slightly in agreement at one another, signalling a pause in the argument, and turned away from one another in unison.

Derek wasted no time in getting away, speeding down one of the many halls. His haste even made one of the maids press up against the wall to accommodate him. But, it didn't seem to matter how fast or far away he physically got from Odette because her voice just followed. With her voice swirling in his head, he could not help but think about her arguments in detail. Odette had never been quite the same since her kidnapping and he was starting to see the queerness of it again in her points. Anytime hunting came into the picture, she squirmed. It was no secret why, but it did irritate Derek at the worst of times.

He shook his head again at the childishness of it all and headed for the library where he would immerse himself in a book for a few hours.

...

This argument was different. Even though they fought annually about something major, Derek and Odette had never really had a screaming match like this before. Derek wondered idly if this was going to be a common occurrence.

They entered the dining hall behind one another, still shooting their arguments back and forth as faithfully as they needed air. He followed her in, finding her hips weren't as alluring as they should have been at this time of the evening, and made his way to his seat. The extensive length of the table was almost comforting; he probably wouldn't be able to hear her from the other end. Were royal dining tables designed as such for that reason?

They sat at opposite ends, as per usual, and let the large space between them highlight the tension. The table, to make it worse, was empty, save the ornate candelabra which broke a perfect view of one another. You could almost swear the little flames flickered in fear of the glowers the two so immaturely conveyed.

Derek knew he wasn't losing the argument, by much. In fact, he had conjured a perfect, new reason that was sure to make him victorious. But, then, Frederick brought out the soup entree and so Derek held his remark in for a little bit longer for courtesy's sake.

The two ate in silence.

The main meal, a golden roast chicken with vegetables fit for a king, then followed suite and was placed in front of the royals before the plates from the first course had been taken. Frederick knew as well as anyone else that the prince and princess didn't need an opportunity to say anything.

Odette and Derek complied with societal rules – if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all - and kept silent while they ate. Every moment or two a little ding of metal to china would resonate over the flickers of the candle flames, and neither of them looked up at the sound. The room was a little too silent when compared to the norm.

Finally, Odette broke the trend. She placed her knife and fork down ever-so-gracefully against her plate and wiped her mouth with the serviette. With her shoulders squared, she silently demanded her husband's attention, and was only satisfied when he too placed his utensils down.

"I'm returning to Lyleshire."

Derek's mouth dropped open, barely missing the floor below. He didn't know the whole story, but he could tell from her proud delivery that he wouldn't want to know.

Odette looked down at her folded knife and fork. "And I don't know when I'll be back."

If there was a time to say something, it was now. Derek knew that, but he could scarcely find the words to say what he was feeling. He certainly was not going to Odette's home town in the near future. That he was aware of, at least. And he was sure that he had another King coming to stay in three months' time... That meant that he wasn't scheduled to go with her...

Already in an internal panic, he blurted the first thing that came to mind "You're leaving?"

She, in turn, had to hide the hurt from his accusation. To say she was mortified was an understatement. "You may be _Prince of Chamberg_, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm their queen. My people need me. You would do the same if the situation were reversed."

"But..." Derek stood up confusedly, unsure of what he should do. Odette leaving on her own was out of the question. "That's improper..."

Odette also stood up, only with more purpose in her movements. "Do you see my perspective now?" she asked, folding her arms. Rhetoric had always been a strong point of hers. "And how is visiting my kingdom improper? How is tending to my people improper?"

He didn't respond. The only thing he could do was shake his head to indicate his dislike for her news.

"You are welcome to join me, but it seems you already have other plans..." Odette began, creeping up to the final blow in the fight. She looked at Derek to gauge what he thought of her news, and liked that she was finally having some sort of effect on him. "Think of it this way, now you have more time for your month-long hunting trips without me."

Like a punch to the face, Derek lost sight of what was happening. Words were sent swirling in his head, creating a chaos that he could not tolerate. Something told him that this was going to change their lives forever. "So you won't be here anymore..." he barely rasped, having control enough to begin exiting the dining hall.

Odette followed on behind. "What difference does it make?" she quipped. "Derek, you don't always come home. Sometimes I don't see you for a week. "

He stopped dead in his tracks. Nobody was as forward with him as Odette was. And she was right.

Noting the extra tension in his shoulders, Odette realised that she may have taken tonight a bit too far and heaped too much news onto him at once. She moved a step closer to his back and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It will all work out…" she soothed. "I can come back for a few days every now and again until the villagers get back on their feet... The fires have wiped out most of the crops and destroyed some farms. They need support, Derek. I can't abandon them just because I don't live there anymore..."

Already, Derek knew that he would not be satisfied with the few days he would be allowed to see his wife. Not a chance. He turned around to look at her. "You get seasick, Odette. By the time you're well again, you'll have to go back."

She shrugged, not denying his logic. "There's nothing stopping you from coming to me."

She saw it, the pain each word being etched into him caused. He could not leave his kingdom either, and so he was beginning to understand the predicament Odette was in. Of course he would sail the seas to see her when he could, he just didn't know how often that would be.

_Odette planned this_, he decided internally, _her arguments would not have been this strong otherwise_. They would've been strong, but not like this. Derek didn't know how to retort; he didn't like this idea anymore than Odette had liked his.

Being the nurturing person she was, Odette acknowledged Derek's deep thought process. He truly didn't want her to leave and wanted a way to express that to her. She stepped closer to Derek and embraced him, wanting to melt his troubles away. He, in response, encased her to him, never wanting to let go.

...

Derek sat back against the pillows, finding them to be of little comfort. He left the torch beside the bed lit for a while in hopes of Odette coming to him tonight. He wasn't going to hold his breath, though, after the argument had ended the way it did.

How he was going to miss Odette because, there was no denying it, she was going back home for at least a full year. He would not be able to stay with her the entire time, but thought that he might get a week or two here and there. Unfortunately, that was the best he could hope for and he didn't like it.

He didn't know whether he would be able to tolerate multiple nights alone and days without seeing her smile. He had lost her twice before, and nearly a third, and this new plan of hers made it feel like she was going forever.

There was a soft knock on the door, then, interrupting his distressing thoughts. He got up off the bed, not wanting to dwell on such ideas, and made his way over to the door. Surely nothing was so urgent that it required him at this hour...

He pulled the door open, and Odette stood behind it looking innocently up at him. He managed to smile gently. "I'd hoped you would come..." he said, taking her by the hand.

She obliged with a similar smile, and stepped into the room.

Derek took her robe from her and moved to drape it over a chair. He caught sight of the moon in his window and remembered the night those years ago when it was needed most and failed to appear. "A year is a far too long a time without you..." he remarked, turning his back on the memory.

Odette was already sitting on the edge of the bed. "If I don't go, I might perish from boredom!"

"That's not funny," he protested, moving to extinguish the torch by Odette.

She hoisted herself onto the bed and shifted to rest her back on the pillows, just as Derek had done before she arrived. The room suddenly turned pitch black. "I wasn't trying to be…" she argued.

He sat down next to her and draped an arm over her shoulders. She snuggled into his side.

"When do you leave?" Derek whispered, trying to compensate for their loud voices in the castle earlier.

Odette took in a long, reluctant breath. "I leave on Monday..."

She felt him stiffen beside her, and had to stop herself from nodding at the predictability.

"A week?" he exclaimed as quietly as he possibly could.

"Aha..."

He sat upright, retracting his protective arm. "I won't even be here..."

Odette looked down at her knees guiltily and then accompanied him in an upright position. Even in the dark, she knew to comfort him with a hand on his shoulder and a kiss on the cheek.

"Derek?" She turned his head in her direction. "It's late. We'll discuss this in the morning," she suggested. He grunted slightly and turned his head back out to the blackness in front of them.

Odette sighed and lay back down, knowing that he would join her very quickly.

"Tell me something…" he mumbled, waiting a moment before continuing. "Why is it that you and mother always seem to have the same reaction to things like this?" He didn't expect a specific answer, but more of a generic one, and his lowered expectations finally paid off.

She sat up again, biting her bottom lip. Could she tell him that Uberta had found her yesterday and begged to persuade him to stay? No, it would just make him feel worse.

"Great minds think alike..." she replied.

He wanted to laugh, but the effort would require more happiness than he felt at that moment. After all, he and Odette were going to be separated for months on end and he only had a few days of freedom left with her. Nothing would lift his mood.

Then he felt Odette's hands running sensuously up his back. Shivering at her divine touch would have suggested that he was willing to accept her leaving without much thought. So he resisted the instinctive reaction. He didn't want to show acceptance, but he also wanted to take advantage of the time he had left with her.

Unfortunately for him, Odette knew his weaknesses well and took hold of his hand. Gingerly, she placed a lingering kiss on each of his fingertips.

"We should start making up for lost time..." she said quietly.

He looked at her in the dark. Time, he thought, that he had not agreed to lose.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the week went by exceptionally quick, much to Derek's dismay. The morning had arrived for Odette's departure and she was more than ready to begin rebuilding her father's kingdom after some terrible fires during the summer. Amidst her preparations for the gruelling months ahead, Derek had written a letter directly to the King of Lienshire to rearrange their hunting trip for another time, a gesture not unnoticed by Odette or Uberta.

The servants were scurrying about like ants, grabbing the last few bits and pieces that Odette had ordered be packed. They had received word from the captain of the ship that immediate departure was advisable, before the wind changed.

Odette looked out at the scene before her, failing to remember a time when she had felt excited about getting on a boat. A strong breeze suddenly gushed at her, whipping her hair by her ears. She knew then that Derek would appear shortly, the wind putting a damper on his archery session.

Derek had never been one to waste such a nice morning, or any morning, really, and hence why he was not present. The general consensus was that he either was making a stance against her leaving or was choosing not to remember what day it was. Either way, she did not want to leave without being able to see him; she had no idea when the next time would be.

She checked with Briget if everything was under control, receiving a confident affirmative in reply, and began to walk off to find Derek. Sulky or not, she was not just going to leave without saying goodbye.

Her first instinct was to check the west field, where he usually practiced his hunting, and so she turned in the right direction. However, she didn't have to go very far. He appeared, talking to Rogers, from around the corner in front of her.

All three stopped abruptly mere feet from one another, narrowly avoiding a royal collision. Odette looked at Derek, he snapped his head away childishly, and so she turned to Rogers.

Rogers elbowed Derek inconspicuously as he went to speak. "Odette," he greeted, "I wish you well on your trip and I do hope everything goes according to plan."

"Thank you, Rogers," Odette replied, smiling at the almost fatherly words. She embraced him in a hug before Derek took hold of her hand over Rogers' shoulder and pulled her away.

He led her back around the corner, and kept walking toward the concrete staircase that led into the west side of the castle. He took a seat alone on the bottom step, clasping his hands on his knees and choosing to watch them in silence.

Odette knew that he wanted to make another plea for her to stay, but was having second thoughts. The contrast in Derek's change of character had to warm Odette's heart; it showed just how much he was trying to honour and respect her bold decision. The simple notion of it was almost enough to make Odette change her mind about the whole trip, whisk him away to a secluded bedroom and show him how much she already missed him. But, then she thought of all the lives lost in the fires and the families who would starve before long, and let those egocentric thoughts drift away. "It would be selfish of me not to go..." she whispered.

He nodded silently, down at his hands. He knew she was right, and he knew that if the situation were reversed, she would not have complained about him leaving. "I know."

She came and sat on the step above him, pulling his head into her lap. The two watched the breeze push through the tree tops unhurriedly before them, revelling in the glorious day autumn had provided. Odette sat contentedly, running her fingers through her husband's hair, while he sat and let his darkest memories surface and torture him.

"_Gone?" Derek sucked in a breath, trying to disbelieve what Puffin had just told him. There was not a chance that he could literally mean gone. Not after everything and Odette had been through. "What do you mean gone?"_

_Puffin flapped as he came down to a nearby rock in Zelda's cave. "Well, she's…" he had to stop and gain his composure. "The fireball… she couldn't get away…" at that instant Puffin's eyes swelled up from the reminder of what had just happened._

"_When the moon sets, I'll turn back into a swan…Please, Derek, you have to trust me… Go!"_

The reel of memories stopped short prematurely as Odette began to talk to him again. "Here," she said. Then she began to wriggle. Derek lifted his head up to turn and look at her. She was removing her locket. "You keep it while I'm gone. Bring it with you when you come and visit."

He held his hand open for it and she dropped it in. The weight of it barely compared to the weight of the world.

Derek looked up at the girl he had ended up marrying and swiftly cupped his hand under her jaw and kissed her. Every caress of his lips told her how desperately he would miss her, and every stroke of the tongue reminded her how much she would miss him.

She snaked her arms around his back, continuing to mould her face to his. She had never been as intimate with any man – or boy – as Derek and she knew that she would not have it any other way. He was her other half, and it tore at the seams of her inner fabric to think that she was upsetting him.

"_Ahem_," came a voice from in front of them. The two unwillingly broke apart, not at all perturbed by Rogers who often found himself in that situation.

Derek just held her head against his and then pecked her longingly on the lips. Odette did the same, only she pulled back slightly and pressed her lips to his forehead.

"The carriage is ready for you, princess," Rogers informed, implying a need for them to separate.

Odette looked at Derek as she answered, "Thank you, Rogers. I'll be there in a moment."

"Very well," he mumbled and walked off.

She just looked down and gently squeezed his hands. "Time for me to go..."

They stood up simultaneously, entwining their fingers. "This place will not be the same without you," Derek remarked as they walked.

As the loaded carriage came into view, Odette replied, "The time will fly... You'll see."

All the servants were waiting, lining the path to the carriage, uniformly. Rogers and Uberta stood at the head of the line, allowing them to be first to farewell the princess.

Odette could feel Derek's pace slowing as they inched closer to the carriage, and it took numerous tugs on his arm to get him to comply with her speed. When they were close enough, Derek watched as Odette's hand slipped from his and into the hands of his mother.

"Take care of yourself, my dear, and if there's anything my men can do for you, you need only to say the word," Uberta said, pulling Odette into a hug.

"Thank you, Uberta," Odette took another step back. "I have to see the extent of the damage first, though, before I call in supplies." She turned to Rogers. "Rogers, I'll miss you..."

"Yes, well," he agreed, gesturing over at Derek, "Somebody has to keep Derek in line."

Odette giggled, peeking quickly over her shoulder at her husband waiting some distance from them. "I understand. Thank you."

And with those final words, Odette made her way past the line of servants, nodding at intervals to some, and waited for the footman to open the carriage door. Derek imagined it as the mouth of beast, complete with fangs and glowing eyes. To him, she was stepping into oblivion. Then the door closed, sealing her fate in the mouth of a monster.

Just as she stuck her hand out to wave at the audience, Derek felt the presence of someone beside him.

"Derek," Rogers advised, using his undeniable, logical voice. "You should be going back with her for the first week or two... Think about it, she hasn't been back since William's passing..."

Derek inhaled deeply, not having thought about that problem. He had thought about how hard it would be to separate from her, not about how hard it would be for her to return. In fact, the castle would not have been stepped in by her since King William was killed. The rooms would certainly be unchanged since the attack. Could she handle it?

Before he had a chance to ponder it, the crack of a whip sounded and the carriage sped off down the path, rousing dust after them.

He sighed. "I can't afford the time away... The King of Birningham will be here in a few days and I am due to go to France next month."

Rogers mumbled something incoherent and then folded his arms, disgruntled. "You'll learn one day..."

What that was supposed to mean, Derek did not know. And his mother came and whisked Rogers away before he had much time to think on it.

Derek stood there until the patter of horse hooves could be heard no more, seeing the dust on the path settle as if there had never been a disturbance. Time seemed to be a non-existent thing as he watched the world before him. The gentle breeze seemed in no rush to go anywhere, and the ripples in the water danced hypnotically to their own rhythm. He let the tension in his shoulders go, allowing the memory of Rothbart's monstrous form falling from the sky and plummeting into the water before him to take over. Somewhere hidden in that lake was his rotting corpse. Perhaps it was him who made the water move in a strange pattern.

Derek shook his head at the sound of Puffin's voice, thankful that the painful replay of the past did not continue.

"Good morning Prince Derek," Puffin greeted cheerfully. "Did we miss Odette?"

Derek retracted his flat gaze from the lake and turned to look down at the three. "Yes… she just left," he replied.

"Aww…" the trio said in unison, disappointed that they had missed giving their farewells. Jean-Bob, though trying to remain indifferent, even chose to sit down atop Speed's shell in his dissatisfaction.

"Well, never mind," Puffin conceded. "I'm sure we'll see her soon."

Derek nodded and smiled tightly in agreement. Then he inhaled. "Well, there's no use in standing around – there are things that need to be done." And with that, he turned around and headed inside the castle. Though he tried to remain positive, he couldn't shake the gut feeling that this was all a bad idea.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun shone unusually bold for so early in the morning. Rogers was certain that this was a form of torture and it was not in his nature to keep quiet about such things. Honestly, there shouldn't have been such a thing as dawn on a Sunday morning.

The only reason Rogers didn't reject Derek's request for a training session was because he feared Uberta would have his head for not being supportive. At such a delicate time, she had worded, her son needed any distractions possible.

So, that was why he was doing up Bromley's blindfold, still in a daze from the sleep that was stolen from him. Derek did his up too, satisfied that Rogers would not bail out half way through the shooting round.

The servants lined themselves up in an orderly fashion, utterly used to the early morning disruption. They scarcely needed to be told what to do to know.

Derek and Brom were having what they called a "Practice Session". This is where the servants, dressed as numbered animals, run across the firing field for three minutes avoiding the coloured padded arrows shot by two competing men. In most cases, the competing men would be Derek and Bromley, though Brom was never really much competition for Derek.

"On your mark…" Rogers called. Derek and Brom moved to stand back-to-back, blindfolded, waiting to be un-masked. "Get set…"

Brom lifted up his blindfold and instantaneously Rogers snapped at him. "Don't make me sew that to your face!"

Bromley let it go instantly, mumbling something about Rogers being a fine seamstress, and squared his shoulders once again, ready for the competition.

Rogers paused to yawn and then yelled again. "Go!"

The blindfolds dropped and the shooting began. Derek was first to fire, missing a couple of animals intentionally so Bromley could have time to untangle himself from the bow. He did so, after quite a few seconds, and then took off after the one-hundred point rabbit. Derek just rolled his eyes and took off in the direction of the slower 'animals' in the trees.

He ran into a little patch of forest, where they had all apparently retreated to the mess of confusing trees. He could see a couple of playing cards on the ground from the game he had disturbed, but nothing otherwise. Then he heard a slight whooshing sound whip past him. It was fast, but Derek was more than alert. It could be one of two things, he decided impulsively: either Brom had missed his selected target and sent an arrow in Derek's direction, or it was just a flying insect of some sort. He spun around in preparation of the first possibility to ensure that the next arrow would miss him. How humiliating it would be to return with Bromley's competition mark...

But, he saw no sign of either option. How odd. He was quick to dismiss it, however, seeing as it would not be the first thing he had conjured in recent days. So he turned around to continue winning his competition, and that's when he saw it. In the tree beside him was an arrow. Only, it wasn't one of his or Brom's arrows. Derek moved closer and jerked the arrow free from the bark, ensuring the note attached stayed intact. The urge to read it was not as strong as the desire to win this morning, so he quickly slipped the arrow, note and all, into his pack and took off again.

"Fifteen seconds!" Rogers bellowed from the field, indicating how much time was left. Derek ran out from the cluster of trees firing more arrows. It was clear by the pile at Rogers' feet that Bromley had dropped even more.

"Three, two…" Rogers counted down.

There came a loud thud from behind Derek and a muffled yelp. He turned around, ready to attack an intruder, when he saw that Bromley had simply tripped over the some tree roots.

"_Time_!" Rogers bellowed.

Like clockwork, all the servants obediently appeared back at their starting positions to have the number of hits counted.

Rogers picked up his quill, some parchment, pointed a few times, scribbled some more, mumbled a little, yawned and eventually declared Derek the winner, winning by a record breaking three hundred and fifty-eight points. The victory felt rather awkward to Derek. Normally, after such a finish, Odette would come over to congratulate him, among other things. Her lack of presence reminded him, once again, that only a week had passed and there were still many more weeks to go.

At that point, a whole extra tonne of stone could've fallen on Derek and he still wouldn't have noticed the extra weight. It seemed nothing to what he already felt. How he wished he could go and see her.

He didn't wait for the argument to erupt between Rogers and Bromley about the counting system being biased and instead decided to go back into the castle to read over the letter he had written to Odette. His bow left skid marks in the dirt as he carelessly dragged it back into the castle. Rogers and Brom stayed behind and exchanged civil glances - something that very rarely happened.

It was clear that Odette's absence was starting to take its toll.

"You know, in all his life I have never seen him like this," said Rogers, "even when Odette was believed to be…" he paused, trying to find a delicate phrase, "_not among us_... he was never like this."

...

Odette moved to the side of the road to accommodate the weary ox and plough coming through. The scenery was distressing. She could scarcely remember the beautiful oranges and reds autumn faithfully brought to her kingdom, now that the fields were a deathly black colour and the trees scorched down to the roots.

The harshness of it all registered on the faces of the poor farmers and villagers who would definitely not have enough food or money for winter. Odette didn't know what else she could do. She had spent the first two days walking around, noting everything that had been lost in the fires and deciding what would be necessary to buy from other neighbouring kingdoms. That in itself was a task.

Then, yesterday, she had spent the day in the library with her table of advisors, penning the words to parchment to ask for some livestock and food for her people. Though the letters were sent off that night, it would take weeks before any response – be good or not – would be heard.

That left her with hours upon hours to see the ruins before her. As she looked back behind her, at the village, she couldn't help the guilt spreading. Though it could hardly have been prevented, she felt the fires were her fault. And that it was her fault her people were suffering. In her state of guilt that morning, she had moved dead branches, cooked soup for the workers, and tried to tend to sick people. But, the supplies were low and so her work was rendered useless very quickly.

Tonight, she decided, she was going to write to Uberta and ask for whatever she could. And, then, she was going to write to Derek. But, she didn't know what she could say. The crops were utterly destroyed, but she couldn't tell him that. She was miserable on their behalf, but she couldn't tell him that. And the winter breeze was already looming, scaring the life out of her. Come winter, the kingdom would be doomed without enough food and wood.

The other, more selfish, problem she faced was the fact that she couldn't step foot back into the castle. Everything about it reminded her of her father. It hadn't helped that the first thing she saw on her arrival was the life size painting of him in the entry, but even his scent lingered in the air.

She knew that he would be distraught at the state of his kingdom if he were still alive.

She wanted Derek at that moment, wanted him to soothe her and say that it would all be fine. Just like how he always did.

But, he wasn't there and she was sure he wasn't coming any time soon.

The sun was beginning to set and Odette knew she had to return to the castle grounds before the guards came looking for their precious princess. Her arrival had been a doubly special one for the kingdom. The first being that their princess had married a wealthy prince and was returning for a visit, the second being that up until recently, they had been told that their heir to the throne was dead. They had greeted her with food and smiles that diminished hours later when everybody went home. It was when the celebrations were over that she could see just how dire the situation at hand really was.

...

"Why now?" Rogers cried, running to keep up with Derek's fast strides. "The King of Birningham will arrive tomorrow and you want to leave?"

"Yes," Derek replied curtly, scrunching a piece of parchment in his hand. He then loosened the grip and handed it to Rogers. As he waited for Rogers to finish reading, Derek ordered for a servant to have the carriage assembled.

"Is that not a good enough reason?" Derek inquired as Rogers peered curiously up at him from the parchment.

"It's just a hoax."

"What?" Derek barked.

Rogers nodded, lowering the note in his hands. "There was a man a few weeks back, maybe a month now, causing a bit of trouble with other royals... it's his writing. I'll see to it that he is caught." Derek went to take the note back, but Rogers whipped it out of his reach. "In the meantime, I'll take this for further examination. But, I can almost guarantee that it is not legitimate… May I ask why there is a hole in it?"

"Oh," Derek said, reaching behind around into his stash of arrows. "It came on this," he singled out a particular arrow and gave it to Rogers. Rogers studied it briefly and then nodded, making a note of the markings on the end.

"I'll examine this too..." Rogers said.

"I don't want examinations," Derek argued. "I want Odette back! I don't care if you think this is a hoax..."

"Derek," Rogers began. "As your counsellor, it is my job to remind you of your duties here as future king. As future king, you need to form alliances and disappearing the day before the King of Birningham arrives will not get you one."

Derek hated how right Rogers was. He knew that going to see Odette would more likely cause war than peace. He knew that she probably wouldn't like his sudden appearance, either, when she was trying to straighten everything out.

With the flick of his hand, he ordered the carriage be put back and the horses be allowed to roam for the rest of the day.


	4. Chapter 4

Odette sat at the window of her room, staring out into the night. The wind was bitterly cold, and whipped past her ears, but it stopped her from thinking too much about the castle she was in. She had not wanted to step foot back in there, going as far as to find accommodation in the village, but under the guidance of her counsellors she was persuaded to stay in the castle for her own safety. After all, not everyone in the village saw her as a blessing.

She clutched the blanket closer around her shoulders and turned to look back into the room behind her. She saw a room not too dissimilar to the one she had left behind. Layers of purple and red fabric covered the stone walls, too heavy to budge in the breeze, her jewellery box still lay open on her dressing table, and the mirror still had the same rust patterns around the edge. The only thing that had changed was her.

Time never seemed more endless than when she sat up watching the waves of the sea below. It was hypnotic watching the waves become white-capped from the wind, rolling back and forth against the rocks.

It helped her think over the reason she had come back.

The fires had turned a large portion of the village black, including the houses. As such, the inns were full for an indefinite amount of time and many people were sharing tiny cottages with three or four other families. It made her a tad angry to think that the huge castle, with so many unoccupied rooms, was going to be left that way. When Odette had posed the idea of allowing people to stay in the castle while they rebuilt, her counsellors had laughed and quickly dismissed the idea. Unfortunately, as reigning princess, she did not have as higher authority as she would have liked in that hour.

Even as she looked out now at the kingdom below, she could see large patches of black and the remainder of houses. It seemed that for every blade of grass burned, a little pin prick of guilt would be thrust into her. She loved the kingdom dearly and could not stand that the people were suffering under her rule. Although fires in this part of the world were not uncommon, and she herself had seen them twice before, she had not been in charge either of those times and hadn't worn any of the guilt.

Now, it was her turn to do what she had seen her father do: take care of the kingdom. She knew that the first step was to clear out the rest of the debris and so that's what everyone was going to start on tomorrow.

...

It didn't help that the King of Birningham was less than quiet about the fact that he had his new wife with him. They had managed to keep Derek up all night with their screams and exclamations of bliss. Normally, it would not have bothered him, having been friends with Bromley for as long as he had. But, when it reminded him of how each moan from Odette would erupt one in him when they were together, he couldn't stand it.

So instead of staying in his bedchamber as he should have, he went off to the library in the dead of the night. That's why he was more than tired the following evening.

From his lack of sleep Derek had acquired a set of bruise like shadows under each of his eyes and slouched his shoulders in sheer fatigue. He had even cancelled his training session that afternoon to try and get some rest. But, it didn't work. Though the King of Birningham and his new queen had gone into the village for the day with his mother, Derek could not remove Odette from his mind. And so he went on without sleep again.

Come dinner time, the candles at the table hardly helped to conceal the bruises under his eyes, and it made Uberta a little suspicious as to her son's wellbeing.

She knew from the way he picked at his food like a sparrow that he was not happy. He was acting the way he did when the news of Odette's assumed death had been made public, like there wasn't much left for him.

The idea was preposterous seeing as Odette was alive and healthy and he could even write to her when needed. That, and the princess had only been gone for two weeks. Uberta knew from her own experiences that Odette needed to take care of her homeland on her own for peace of mind. As such, she took it upon herself to keep Derek at bay as long as possible and allow the princess to do her work.

Still, she didn't like seeing her little boy suffer. Young love always has the most impact on a person.

That's why she had decided to move to the castle at Swan Lake for a while, just until Odette returned. Rogers needed to keep an eye on Derek and she would keep an eye on Rogers.

Derek covered his mouth from his yawn, and then picked up a single pea with his fork.

Uberta held in her sigh, and decided to see if mentioning Odette would get him to finally say something. "I received a letter from Odette yesterday," she said, cutting a small strip of meat off with her knife.

Derek snapped his head to her. "Why did _you_ get one?"

"It was a letter of business, Derek," Uberta almost scolded.

Before Derek could respond, the King of Birningham spoke. "Ah yes, William's daughter. I got word that the fires had struck again. Terrible shame. I sent over some horses and a few cattle last week. I do hope they've arrived – winter shall arrive soon."

Uberta laughed politely and gestured to someone behind Derek with the wave of her hand. "I am sure they have, and your generosity is much appreciated, I am sure."

"Anything for William and his daughter."

A servant appeared silently from behind Derek then, and held forward a silver platter. "A letter for you, your highness."

Uberta had received his letter at the same time as hers and decided to hold onto it so she could lift his spirits with it when absolutely necessary. The time had come to use it.

Derek snatched it up quickly, barely muttering a thank you, and began to break the seal.

"Not at the table, Derek!" Uberta snapped, eyeing him off.

Derek did not really want to be at the table any longer, seeing the happy newlyweds opposite him, and so he chose to read the letter over finishing his supper. He stood up. "Excuse me," he said, bowing slightly and making his way out.

Bromley knew that Derek had just played on his mother's words and began to laugh at how immature it was. He turned his attention back to the table, still chuckling softly, until he saw Rogers glaring at him. He stopped laughing instantly.

The remaining diners just listened to Derek's footfalls getting further away from them.

The letter could not have come at a better time. Derek was literally aching for Odette, and she had always had a way with words. Just the thought of being in possession of a part of her again, apart from her locket which he kept around his neck at all times, he could not help but smile.

'_Dear Derek,_

_I've only been here for a week and it already feels like an eternity. I miss you so much that I cannot describe it. Sometimes I try to imagine that you are here with me, but it's hard when I remember that we are so far apart and that I wake up next to an empty space in the morning.'_

The letter went on to briefly describe the problems she had encountered since arriving and the extent of the damage from the fires. Though she didn't say it, he could tell that the circumstances were hurting her in more ways than one. He started to imagine her face beside his, tears rimming her serene eyes. That's how he believed she truly felt.

When she signed off at the end of her letter, he realised that he could not go on without seeing her. While her words had provided temporary relief from the pain of missing her, when he had finished reading he could not stand the harsh reality of it.

So, he folded up the letter, put it in his vest, and made his way to the stable. He marched onwards, picking up only a cloak for the ride over to the docks. Once there, he would give the captain any amount of money he wanted so long as they set sail immediately towards Odette.

...

Odette woke up the next morning to find a large ship on the horizon, heading towards their docks. She was so pleased that at least one of her letters was responded to and could scarcely wait to see what she would be able to give out to families in need.

Finally, there was something that was going to make a tangible difference.

She called together a large workforce who would be willing to get the village back on its feet as soon as possible. To support the new arrival – of what, she still did not know – they needed to clean up all the charred wood lying around and remove all the dead plants. The fields would need to be tended to next, to prepare them for winter.

The villagers were eager to comply, not at all minding that their princess was then summoned to greet the captain and crew of the ship.

The day proved to be a glorious. The sun was shining without a cloud in sight, enough wind was present to carry the ships but not hinder the work in the village, and the smell of salt from the sea wafted off the warm water.

She and her advisors waited along the wooden pier, watching the dozens of men pile off the ship. The captain disembarked last, greeting the princess with a gentle bow.

"It's an honour, princess," he said, holding out a sealed letter. She took it gracefully between her fingers. "Here is a list of what King Albert of Birningham has sent for you in this time of desperation."

It took all her restraint to not tear the letter open and begin distributing the precious rations. "Thank you. Your work is much appreciated by many people here, myself included."

The captain smiled and bowed again. "Thank you, your highness." Then he stood upright and called for one of his men. A man in a hooded cloak stepped forward at the call. His face was slightly concealed by the shadow it caused, but there was something about the man's blue eyes and the plains of his cheekbones that rang familiar to Odette.

The captain ordered the man find out when the next high tide was so that they knew how long they had. He scurried off towards the watchtower.

"Really," Odette tried to persuade them, "you are all more than welcome to stay a few days before sailing back."

"That's very kind, but we're under strict orders to leave tonight. Now, if you will excuse my haste, where can we begin to unload this cargo?"

Lord Smith interjected then, taking a step forward from behind the princess. "Have your men carry the load to the castle grounds."

Odette turned to look at the ageing man, wondering why on earth they would do that. The castle had plenty of supplies.

"So we can guard it all and make sure it is distributed correctly," he explained before she had a chance to ask.

That did make sense, however cruel it may seem to all the peasants starving in the nearby village. The supplies being distributed evenly was of high importance.

The first few sacks of grain waddled past Odette, and she and her guard stood aside to let the men through. Odette tore open the letter to see what it said, to see exactly what it is she would be receiving.

It was a generous list consisting of grain, horses, cattle, oxen, and some rum. Although she didn't like the intoxicating drink, she eased herself with the knowledge that it could be used for medical purposes and that it would lift the spirits of the villagers in time.

Lord Smith came up behind Odette, trying to read the list over her shoulder. "What can we expect from Birningham?" he asked expectantly, lifting his head to see over the crook of her neck.

She simply handed the note to him over her shoulder, aware of what precisely he was doing. It only took a moment before she heard small grunts of approval from the old man as he skimmed down the list of donated goods.

The captain came back towards Odette and her advisors and acknowledged her again with a bow. She returned it with the dip of her head.

"There are a few of my men requesting to stay here for various reasons, and I have a list of builders, farmers, and even a doctor who his majesty King Albert believes would be of some use to you."

The man with the hood walked past them then, his eye catching the princess' as he looked over at hearing the proposal his captain made. She couldn't explain why, but there was something familiar about his eyes, and the thought was slightly unsettling. She was beyond certain that she had never met the man before.

Odette heard Lord Angus clear his throat behind her, ready to object. Frankly, she was sick of his constant objections and questioning of her orders and so she answered the captain before he could voice his opinion.

"Of course," she smiled, well aware she had cut Lord Angus off short. "Just be sure to give us the exact names of the men and there will not be a problem."

Her one condition to the deal was one to satisfy everyone's safety, and she knew that that would at least appease the Lord a little. It still wouldn't stop him voicing his objections to their stay tomorrow, but she would deal with it then.

Just then, the horn blew from the watchtower. All eyes turned upwards to the two sailors at the top, looking out into the sea before them.

"Ship ahoy!" one of them called. "Ship ahoy!"

Another wave of intense relief flooded over Odette at the prospect of more supplies. Maybe she could get her people through this ordeal after all.


	5. Chapter 5

"Uberta," Rogers said seriously, taking a seat in front of the fireplace. "Have you recently considered standing down from the throne? You've been quite busy lately and we don't want you to strain yourself..."

Uberta signed off on the letter she was writing with her name in elegant script. Then she moved to seal it with the wax insignia. "When Derek gives me grandchildren, he can have the throne..." she replied, handing an obedient servant the letter. He bowed and scurried off with the note. "Where is he, by the way? I didn't see him at all today. Was he with you?"

Rogers had been wondering all day about the whereabouts of Derek. He had hoped that he was with Bromley just this once, but when he found Bromley in the kitchen sans Derek that afternoon, he knew that that was not the case. The only trouble was going to be telling Uberta that nobody knew where her son was. She had already been on edge and he feared what this news would do to her.

Uberta prompted him again, putting her nib back in the ink. "Well?"

Rogers sighed. "It's seems that Derek may have decided to go hunting for a few days..." he said, hoping desperately that that was the truth. "To take his mind off things..."

The Queen stood up from the dark wood desk and moved to settle into a chair by the fireplace as well. "Don't tell me you don't know where he is."

"Alright then, I won't."

Uberta clucked her tongue and furrowed her brow. "Oh, Rogers!"

Normally it would not have been such a big deal, Derek disappearing, but since the Prince had not been himself the last few weeks, it was concerning. "The guards are looking for him as we speak," Rogers offered, cautious of the outburst he expected from the Queen.

"I worry about him..." she confided instead, staring infinitesimally into the fire. "He is too much like his father. And now that Odette's away, it's made it worse."

"It's just young love," Rogers said, also settling back into the cushions of his chair. "He'll come around."

"Oh, yes, he will," she dismissed. "I just wish that he would tell me when he's going... I put a curfew in place for a reason."

"Is this about the notes?"

"Of course it's about the notes!"

The door to the room cracked open then and Uberta made a quick change back to her calm state. She placed a hand over her heart at the near scare she had from the sound, and then turned her head to look at the intruder.

The door opened up further to reveal a servant behind the threshold. He bowed and took a step into the room.

"A letter from Birningham was delivered for his highness, but I cannot seem to find him," he said, keeping is head bowed.

Uberta's eyes widened in horror at the unopened message on the platter. It was as if the letter called to her, singing of evil to come. She almost wanted nothing to do with it, but knew that Derek would come into possession of it if she didn't deal with it. So she made a split second decision to lift her gaze on the note to proclaim, "That's quite alright, I shall take it."

The servant came forward to the Queen and bowed as she picked up the piece of parchment from the plate. She toyed with it in her fingers nervously as the servant made his way out and had the door closed behind him.

Rogers watched Uberta carefully for any sign of faint-heartedness. "Is it another one?"

Uberta nodded. "The writing matches."

He thought for a moment that she was going to throw it into the fire, to try and make the situation go away, but she did flip it and break the seal. It didn't take long for her to skim through the words inked on the page.

When she finished, she gnawed on her bottom lip, folding the parchment back up without looking down at it.

"How many does this make, Uberta?"

She let her lip go. "Third this month..." she replied in a vulnerable whisper.

The topic of notes then reminded Rogers of the one he had pried away from Derek. "Fourth, actually," he corrected.

Uberta whipped her head in his direction. "What?"

Rogers, already regretting worrying the Queen further, dug his hand into his pocket and withdrew another folded piece of parchment. "Derek found this one," he said, handing it over to Uberta. "I took it and assured him that it was only a prank…"

She unfolded it. "Why is there a hole in the middle of it?"

Rogers would have chuckled, since he had asked Derek the exact same question and the response was too obvious, but the situation was looking direr by the second. "It was attached to an arrow, according to Derek…"

Uberta's brow turned up in the centre, already imaging the things her son would have read, as she dipped her head to read the note. It only took a few seconds before she gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "Rogers... Find who wrote this..." she whispered menacingly. "And..."

Rogers knew she was unable to finish her sentence, so he tried to just reassure her. "I will, your majesty. I'll begin at first light."

She just shook her head. "He is in danger!" she exclaimed. "He should know by now that I do things for a reason! What was he thinking, leaving without anyone?"

"Calm down Uberta," Rogers placated. "I'm sure everything is fine."

"It can't be," she disagreed, waving the paper in her fingers about. "Not after this. It just can't be. Surely Derek must have some idea that something is wrong... I... I just wanted to keep him out of it..."

"With all due respect," Rogers replied. He thought it probably wouldn't be a good idea to mock Derek's awareness at a time like this, and so he opted for a more diplomatic comment. "I'd say he is more preoccupied with other things."

Uberta sighed. "I don't know whether that's a good thing or not..."

...

"I say we send them back. Our resources are limited as it is - we can't afford _more_ people!" Lord Angus argued. A tame murmur of agreement followed after him.

Odette nodded at his opinion but was not going to budge on her decision to let some of the sailors stay. "And if it weren't for their bravery on the sea," she countered. "We would have half the amount of stock we do now. Besides, they are handymen with recommendations. They are here to help us rebuild, not hinder our progress. And we need all the help we can get before winter arrives. If it's a few extra mouths to feed, then so be it."

Her argument was followed by a slightly louder murmur of agreement.

The politics of the situation frustrated Odette to no end. She didn't understand why there was a need to go against her, because she would get her way in the end. She was the princess. As much as she hated using her status to her advantage, sometimes the situation called for it. She didn't understand why there was politics involved in this sort of situation period. There shouldn't be a need for discussion when it came to feeding and providing for people – it should just be done.

"Could you imagine what would be said if we were to return help that the King of Lincolnshire _personally_ picked out? We'd be alienated – or worse, attacked – very quickly. This is a time to be putting pride aside and doing what will yield the best outcome."

"This best outcome includes the possibility of rogues and thieves squandering our kingdom!" Lord Angus argued.

Odette resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but apparently not enough.

Lord Angus stood up and pointed a finger at her. "If your father was still here," he said, shaking his head, "he would never allow it!"

At the mere mention of King William, Odette's defensiveness sprung into action. "Lord Angus," she practically hissed back. The rest of the table watched her carefully. "You are excused."

The ageing man looked at her, to gauge her sincerity. Odette did not back down from her glare – having had years of practice with it on Derek – and cocked a brow ever so slightly when she saw that he still waited for her to back down.

"... Until further notice," she added to prove her point.

She could feel all eyes turn to her incredulously. But, she did not want to tolerate, firstly, being insulted, and, secondly, selfish ideas. If this is how she had to prove it, then so be it. She would rather they fear her while she took care of the starving villagers, than win a popularity contest.

The Lord continued to stare at her, flabbergasted. Never had anyone been excused from court, and certainly not by a woman.

"Lord Angus, do I need to repeat myself?"

The staring contest between them was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the main doors cracking open.

A servant walked in and addressed them all with a bow. "The Crowned Prince Derek of Chamberg has arrived."

_Derek._

Odette could feel her insides melt at the thought of him being so close. She had dreamed that he would sail the seas to be with her, and now he had done it. She wanted to jump up from her seat and rush into his arms. She wanted to hold him again, to hear his voice. But, she knew it would be a sign of weakness to act so rashly. So she restrained herself. She didn't need her advisors to have another reason to want to rebel against her.

"I shall see him in the throne room. See to it that he is well looked after until then."

She quickly glanced at Lord Smith and saw him nod in approval at her. He seemed to understand her best, and assured her silently that she was doing to the right thing in delaying her rendezvous with her husband.

It didn't make it any less of a difficult decision, however.

The servant bowed. "Yes, your highness." And then he left with the message.

Lord Angus stood up. "We should be addressing his highness Prince Derek now that he is here. He has the proper authority."

"We began this session with my husband at sea, and now that he is here it changes nothing. I finish what I start. No exceptions."

Lord Angus' nostrils flared ever so slightly, ready to proclaim that he does not feel comfortable answering to a woman when the future king was readily available. But, Odette was not in the mood to be told she couldn't be useful when she had already begun cleaning up the kingdom.

She motioned a guard behind him with her chin to remove Lord Angus, since she had already politely asked him to do so twice. He bowed in response and took a few steps closer to the old man. The lord looked at her one final time before spinning on his heel and practically storming out of the room with the guard in tow.

The remaining counsellors all watched cautiously, aware of how childish the man was behaving, and how serious their young Princess could be.

"Now, my lords," Odette addressed when the doors closed. "Where were we?"

...

It took an hour more of arguing back and forth to agree upon letting the visitors from Lienshire stay, how they would distribute the rations, and when the rebuilding of certain structures should begin, but Odette got through it and was satisfied with the end result.

Now, it was taking all her restraint to not run to the throne room and throw herself into his arms. Instead, she walked with her shoulders squared at an acceptable pace, accompanied by two alert guards.

As she approached the doors, another guard opened it for her and bowed as she passed through. The room was dimly lit by some candles at the opposite end of the room, but she couldn't see him anywhere. There was no movement, nor even a sense that he was in the same room.

"Where has Prince Derek gone?" she asked one of the guards following her. The two guards looked at each other and then at her.

"We thought he was in here, your highness."

It was not unusual for Derek to disappear like this, and Odette barely batted a lash at the news. There were two other places he could be: the library, or her quarters. The only problem was that he didn't know the layout of the castle and could be lost in trying to find one of those places.

Although, he had already had an hour to go searching.

Odette rolled her eyes at the empty scene before her and turned back to the guards. "It's quite alright. I will find him. You are free for the rest of the evening."

And before they had time to protest, or thank her, she walked further into the room. The library was to the west and her quarters were back the way she came. Since the guards were still standing there, she decided to head over to the library alone.

She walked, quickening her pace at the prospect of finding Derek, towards the library and practically threw the doors open when she arrived. But, she found it in the same state as the throne room; empty.

She waited a few moments, straining her eyes in the darkness. And then she heard something.

Somebody snapped a book shut behind her and she turned to stone.

Had she just been led into a trap?

The only sound she could hear was her heart thrashing against her ribcage, getting faster and faster. Just as it was beginning to rob her of breath, she felt two gentle hands snake around her waist from behind.

"Odette..." Derek whispered in her ear. "I knew you'd find me."

Odette let out a shaky breath, knowing nothing was wrong and nothing ever could be now that she was with Derek.

He placed a kiss on the nape of her neck and noticed her heartbeat was quicker than normal. "I didn't mean to scare you," he said quietly.

Odette just sighed and turned around to face him. "I'm just glad that you're here."


End file.
